One More Chance
by FortunesArkHero
Summary: "I always wanted to get you to shut up, Hook, but not like this." Hook's life is put in terrible danger after a choice Gold makes leaves him hospitalized. When he takes a sudden turn for the worse, this may help Emma realize her feelings for Hook before it's too late.


**A Captain Swan one-shot unless you lovely people demand more. This is sad, have tissues ready. I cried while writing this.**

**I own nothing. Please enjoy.**

Hook was mad. Angry, furious, pissed off. Whatever word represented 'anger', Hook was feeling it. Currently, he was sipping rum from one of the bottles that had been stashed away. He wasn't drunk, per se, but he hoped he was headed there. He carefully scratched the back of his neck with his hook as he took another swig of rum, trying to drown out his anger with drunkenness. Suddenly, a creak from above caught his attention. It wasn't Cora; that he knew for sure. That strange witch would've just teleported her way into his cabin. No, this was somebody different. Somebody unwanted. An _intruder_.

Quick as a shadow and calm as still water, Hook maneuvered his way through the Jolly Roger. After being Captain of this ship for more than 300 years, he knew it very well. Everything was mapped out in his mind. Who was the person that felt compelled to trespass aboard his ship? More importantly, why did they come aboard? Hook immediately stopped moving, his eyes locked onto the shawl he carried haphazardly in his hand. Whoever it was came to retrieve it. "Crocodile," he muttered, darkly. Of course it was Rumpelstiltskin. He could reclaim Baelfire's shawl and kill Hook. Smart.

The first thing that hit Hook was the smell of the sea. The creaking he heard from below had ceased now. His bright orbs scanned the deck. Nothing seemed out of the norm, but Hook had enemies here. He needed to watch his back. As Hook turned around, he felt a sharp blow to his left temple. He fell to the floor of the deck hard, his vision already threatening to turn dark. When he rolled onto his back, something struck his abdomen with brute force. He let out cries of pain as he was struck again and again. "You just don't know when to give up, do you, dearie?" Hook felt the fabric of the shawl being ripped away from him.

His attacker, he recognized, was Gold. The Crocodile. Strenuously, Hook got to his feet. Gold had a sinister smirk on his face. He pulled out something small from his pocket, though it was concealed in a black sheath. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, coldly. Instinctively, Hook went to draw his sword, but it was not as his place at his hip. Now, it rested in Gold's other hand. Another dangerous smirk crossed his face as he tossed the pirate's sword into the water. "Go on then, Crocodile. Get it over with so I can be with Milah." Gold scoffed, unsheathing what was revealed as a small dagger.

"As much as I want to, I'm not going to kill you. What I have in mind for your is a punishment far worse than death." For a very brief moment, the dagger shimmered black and then back to its normal silver. "If you don't plan to kill me," he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "What are you going to do?" "I've enchanted this dagger and in this world, magic is very unpredictable. Why, just a while ago, a young boy fell victim to a terrible curse. And this boy died, but he was saved by 'twoo wuv'," he said, mockingly. He knew Hook had no true love and would remain a victim of this particular curse for all time. "And the best part is," Gold continued. "No one can save you. Everyone you ever loved has left you and they're never coming back."

Hook clenched his jaw. So, Rumpelstiltskin had planned to curse him because no one loved the Captain. Clever on the crocodile's part. Hook wouldn't be able to be saved. Somehow, that actually did seem crueler than death. Hook wouldn't be with Milah. He quickly deduced that he would be trapped in some sort of limbo. And with that thought, Hook needed to get the hell off his ship. Gold tightened his grip around the hilt of the enchanted dagger. "Rumpel?" And both saw Belle board the ship.

A swift movement. That was all it took. "Rumpel, no!" Hook looked back at Gold with a panicked motion. Belle saw it all. Hook struggled as Gold clamped his left hand around the pirate's throat. "Rumpel, don't!" she pleaded. Gold just looked at Hook, the younger man's eyes almost rolled to the back of his head at the lack of oxygen. "Rumpel, please, you have the shawl. You can find Bae, now. Just let him go." "Belle," he said, lowly. "If he stays alive or even conscious, for that matter, he'll never stop being a threat to you…to us." "Then let the Sheriff lock him up where he can't be a danger to us, himself, or anyone else." He stalled for a moment, letting Belle's words sink in. He then remembered Bae and how, because of this man, the boy grew up without his mother.

And he drove the dagger into Hook's abdomen.

He gasped as the dagger's cold steel pierced and dug into his stomach. Immediately, he could feel the effects of whatever curse it was that enchanted the dagger weave its way to his core. Gold pulled the blade from Hook, but the damage had already been done. Belle caught him as he fell to floor of the ship. "Rumpel, what did you do!?" "It had to be done, Belle." Pain consumed his blue eyes and against his will, his eyes began to forcefully close. His last conscious thought was of his Swan girl.

"Emma…" he whispered before the darkness fully took him.

Belle pressed her hand to Hook's wound. She looked at Gold, frantically. "We have to get him help." "Belle, you can't be serious. Let him bleed on his ship. Poetic for a captain to die on his vessel." Belle gasped in disbelief. Had Rumpel really gone that cold-hearted? "You proved to me you had courage when you told me about Bae. Please, _please_, let me believe that I still see good in you. Prove to me that there's still hope for you to change and help me get him to a doctor." Gold sighed heavily. He couldn't fix Hook, but for his darling Belle, he could at least make sure the scoundrel got medical attention. So, because of Belle, Gold was saving his enemy's life.

* * *

It was 6:46 p.m. on a Thursday night when Emma got the call. 6:46 on a Thursday night. Emma would never forget that call. It seemed as if it were already burned in her mind, imprinted for eternity. Her hands gripped the steering wheel; her knuckles already had turned white. Emma was scared. Her phone buzzed from inside her pocket, no doubt her mother calling to ask why she was 20 minutes late to join her, David, and Henry for dinner at Granny's. After another five minutes of driving, Emma arrived to her unwanted destination.

Storybrooke General Hospital.

Emma stormed into the hospital lobby. "Whale!?" she called, frantically. She desperately searched for that curly blonde-haired womanizer of a doctor. "Whale!" she yelled, again. She had enough of the hospital. This is where the autopsy of Graham was done and where Henry had been admitted when he fell victim to the sleeping curse. Now, another person she had unexpectedly come to care a great deal for ended up in this dreary and dismal place. Yes, Emma Swan indeed had enough of hospitals.

When she turned the corner of the lobby, not only did she thankfully come across Whale, she also found Gold. Belle had returned home. Fury welled up inside her. In one swift motion, Emma had Gold pinned to the wall, hands pressed against his shoulders. His cane clattered to the ground, his head hitting the wall with a loud, sickening thud. "What did you do!?" she snapped, her eyes filled up with unshed tears. By this time, Whale was trying to pull Emma from Gold. "Back the hell off, Whale!" Not once did she break eye contact with Gold. "What did you do?" she said again, this time her voice low and animal-like. "It had to be done, Ms. Swan."

"Emma, let him go. We managed to get him stable and we have him hidden. He's safe." Emma switched glances between Gold and Whale. Finally, the blonde released the gimp and clocked him straight in the jaw with powerful right fist. He fell to the ground with a sharp grunt, keeping a hand to his jaw. He could already feel the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. "Whale, get someone to keep him here. And take me to him. _Now._" As the two blondes walked away, Gold narrowed his eyes onto the Swan girl. He wiped the blood that dripped form the corner of his mouth away. In his mind, he had done it.

Killian Jones was no more.

"He has a few bruises on his torso; the left side of his face is bruised, too. And he has an abdominal stab wound. The blade didn't hit any organs or arteries, but he is comatose." Through an assortment of turns which Emma had easily memorized, they came to a secret room in the ICU. "I will have security posted outside his room and I will make sure he makes a fully recovery." With that, Dr. Whale left. Emma's fingers wrapped around the handle and gripped it tightly. "You can do this, Emma," she whispered to herself. She took in a sharp breath, turned the handle and slowly walked in.

His room was barely lit, a lone lamp rested on a small table to his right that gave off what light it did. The room was filled with a constant and soothing beeping. Emma's heart nearly dropped at seeing him lie motionless in the hospital bed. He was stark white, his black hair making him appear paler than he was. The heart monitor clip was on his right ring finger and more wires were connected to his chest. His face was bloodied and bruised. He now donned a hospital gown and a robe. Emma slowly approached him and sat next to him, holding his nimble hand in hers. Damn it, the tears she fought so hard to hold back were now trailing down her face. "I always wanted to get you to shut up, Hook, but not like this."

Emma wiped the remaining tears away. She didn't want him to see her like this, but Emma knew Gold. Hook wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. She let out a sigh and squeezed his hand lightly. "Wake up, Killian," she said, softly. Surprisingly, Emma found it easy to call him by his real name instead of addressing him as 'Hook'. Gently, she rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, smiling sadly. "I'm not giving you a choice. You have to wake up. I can't lose someone else." Emma gave Hook's hand one more squeeze before she left the hospital. She didn't want to leave him.

* * *

Three days had passed since Hook was stabbed by Gold and put into a coma. Three days without his flirtiness, without seeing his eyes or smile. Three days of pure hell for Emma Swan. She had locked up Gold the second she left the hospital. However, Gold (being the filthy rich bastard he was) didn't stay in jail for long. He was now home with Belle, but he made it his job to stay away from the Sheriff. Emma was currently at the hospital. Hook's room to be precise. Whale had ran more tests on him, all of which did not explain why he remained in a coma. It was so damn frustrating.

Emma was sitting by Hook's bedside. It was becoming a habit, sitting at his bedside and watching him; hoping and wanting him to wake up. He was propped up on the bed, IV's filled with morphine were keeping the pain at bay even in his unconscious state. "How is he?" asked a voice from the doorway. Emma jumped a bit, but immediately relaxed at seeing her mother, who was carrying two cups in her hands. "Don't worry, it's not hospital coffee." Mary Margaret walked over to her and offered a cup.

Mary Margaret would admit to anyone that she wasn't Hook's biggest fan, but no one deserved to end up in the hospital. She saw how Emma was around Hook. A small spark had been ignited; a very small spark, but it was very much there. Emma hesitantly accepted the cup with a heavy sigh. "Still in a coma. And with Gold being the one who hurt him, I'm starting to think maybe magic had something to do with it." "Would it really surprise you if it were different?" Both women chuckled. Mary Margaret decided to finally look at Hook since this was the first time she's been to the hospital. Something was off. The crease in her brows proved that.

"He's cursed, Emma." Emma nearly choked on her drink and looked at her mother with a puzzled look on her face. Her mouth gaped with shock. "Cursed? Where did you come up with that idea?" "Trust me, when you've fallen under some curses, you start to see the signs. And Emma…he's definitely cursed." Emma groaned as she buried her head in her hands. Hook was cursed. It wasn't fair. She thought all the curses were done and over with. And the tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. "Magic's dangerous here. We saw that with Henry and the Wraith. What if he's the same?"

Mary Margaret smiled. Her smile was full of hope and promise as they always were. "You can't think those things. Hook is a very crafty man and he will wake up. Whether it's on his own…or True Love's kiss." Emma's head snapped up, giving her mother another perturbed look. True Love's kiss? She didn't love Killian Jones. She _couldn't_ love him! He was a pirate! He has probably done every bad thing pirates had done. "Mary Margaret, I don't love Killian." "Calling him by his real name, now?" "Oh, damn it! I meant 'Hook'. I don't love Hook." Mary Margaret shrugged as she patted Emma's shoulder lightly. "You may not see it, but there's something there. I know there is." And both left the hospital. Was her mother right?"

* * *

_Everything around him was black. Cold and black. Much like his heart, some would say. For how long he had been like this, Hook had no idea. He was sitting, his legs pulled up to his chest, arms folded across his knees and head buried. As much as he hated to admit this, the crocodile was right: this was a fate far worse than death. At least in death, he would be with Milah. Here, he was all alone. No one was coming to save him, everyone he cared for, who cared about him, was gone._

"_Killian," a sweet voice called to him._

_His head snapped up. "Milah!" he breathed, happily. She stood in front of him, the image of a pure angel. Milah knelt before him and placed her hand to his face. Oh, how he longed for this. The feel of her flesh on his was invigorating. "I've missed you, love," he whispered, softly. "You've no idea how much I've missed you." She smiled at him, but her smile was sad. She never did that to him. "Milah, what's wrong?" She pulled her hand away from him and both stood up. "You let me down, Killian." "I've felt guilty for more than 300 years about letting you die." Milah shook her head with a tired effort. "You've been consumed with revenge that you are blind to what's in front of you." Hook went to reach for her, but she backed away. His dark brows creased. "I know you'll always harbor love for me, but your love for her is more. That's why you let me down. Because you aren't following your heart, letting your revenge consume you. That's being a coward."_

_Hook's stomach dropped. Coward. He looked down, if only for a moment. His eyes stung hard with tears. "Milah, you don't mean that." He looked up again and Milah was gone. He whipped around, but in the thick darkness, it was only him. "I'm not a coward!" he yelled out. He dropped to his knees, hand balled into a fist and he repeatedly punched the ground. "I'm not a coward."_

* * *

Emma had returned to the hospital later in the afternoon, around 3 p.m. She couldn't stay away. She wanted him to wake up, to hold him in her arms, to tell him this nightmare was over and he was going to be ok. She paced outside his hospital room. "Back so soon?" Asked Whale as he caught sight of her. She folded her arms across her chest, sucked in and released a long breath. "No change?" Whale's silence gave her the answer. "I'm sorry, Emma. I'll keep monitoring him." With a nod, she entered Hook's room. She sat on the bed at his right again and held his hand. She just looked at him, his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. Emma had a long talk with Mary Margaret and finally admitted she did indeed felt something for the pirate, but wasn't sure if it was love…yet. "Killian," she spoke softly. "Come back to me."

* * *

"_Hook," spoke a small voice._

_The pirate looked up, seeing a lad of maybe fourteen with dark hair and dark eyes look at him coldly. "You look like Milah." And the realization hit him like Gold's cane. "You're her boy. Baelfire." Bae smirked. "If you know who I am, then you know what your actions have done to me." His dark eyes grew angry. "Your father was the one who killed her." "But you took her away." Hook's eyes went wide at hearing these words from Bae. He was like his father._

"_Lad, listen-" "I grew up without her because of you!" At that moment, small Baelfire shifted into a young man in his early 30's. His foot drove into Hook's torso. The pirate crumpled onto his side and gasped at having the wind kicked out of him. Bae stood triumphantly, displayed the look his father had when Milah died. "I loved your mother very much," he gritted through clenched teeth. He tried to take in as much air as he could. Bae knelt down next to him. "Loved? So, you don't anymore," he stated, harshly. "I'd give anything to ensure she lived…even if she weren't to stay with me." Bae scoffed and licked his lips. Hook was still a crumpled mess, clutching his side. "My mother always told me to listen to my heart, and right now…it's telling me to rip out yours."_

_And he plunged his hand into Hook's chest._

* * *

Hook's heart monitor began to beat rapidly. Emma shifted glances between him and the monitor. "Killian!?" She ran to the door. "Whale!" she called out. One of the guards bolted to look for Whale. He knew something was happening. Hopefully, he could find the doctor in time. Emma went back to Hook, his heart monitor still beating radically. She wanted nothing terrible to happen. But reality settled in and Emma realized there was nothing she could do.

For someone who's the Savior, she truly felt helpless.

* * *

_Hook felt pain and Rumpelstiltskin's words rang in his ears: it's like having your heart ripped from your chest. Slowly, the crocodile's voice transitioned to Bae's: My heart's telling me to rip out yours. "You deserve this." Hook gasped as Bae's grip on his heart tightened. "For the pain you've caused countless people. For my mother. You deserve to die." "I know I do." As best he could, Hook looked into the man's eyes. "I have hurt many people. Taken parents away from children, took what I wanted when I wanted it. Your mother included." He let out a groan of pain, trying to inhale a breath. Hook gave Bae a small smile. "I am worthless. I deserve to die. So, if anyone is going to end my wretched life…it should be you, Baelfire."_

"_Gladly."_

* * *

And the heart monitor flat-lined.

Whale and a few nurses rushed into the room and moved Emma out of the way. She stood against the wall, her knees ready to give out. Her eyes were waterfalls of tears. She repeatedly whispered things like 'don't let him die' and 'this can't be happening'. It's all a bad dream, she thinks. A horrible dream that she can't wake up from. Not again.

She saw Whale do chest compressions and the nurses do something with the machines. One nurse administered a shot of adrenaline, hoping it would restart his heart. When that didn't work, they brought out the defibrillator, charged it and put it to Hook's chest. Emma's knees buckled and she sank to the floor, her hands clamped over her eyes at the sight of Hook arching off the bed from the shock put through his body. They did this again. And again. And again. The movement stopped. It was over. There was nothing else they could do. A nurse turned off the heart monitor, the screen showed flat-lines instead of steady beeps. Whale crouched down in front of Emma and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll let you have some time with him, you know…to say your good-byes. I'll be outside, so just come out whenever you're ready. I'm sorry for your loss, Emma." And Whale left Emma with Hook.

She didn't think this could happen. She never thought it would. Never in her life had she thought she would meet the infamous Captain Hook and come to care for him. Emma was still crying, but there was no intention to stop. And Hook, no, _Killian_, was dead. He was gone. He's gone forever and he's not coming back. She walked up to him, stopping at his left. Emma lowered her head onto his chest and heard nothing where there should've been a steady beat. Her right hand reached up to his left cheek, rubbing it gently with her thumb. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

She cried into his chest, her tears seeped into his hospital gown. 10 hours. That's all it took. The beanstalk, fighting the giant, and their showdown at Lake Nostos. That's all it took. Emma found that the tears stopped. She stood back up, but rested her forehead on his. Killian's skin was cold. This wasn't right. None of it was. She wanted him with her. "Killian," she whispered. Her hand rested on his hair. "I love you. I love you so much." Emma's lips hovered above his forehead, a single tear dripped onto his skin. "I love you and I'm so sorry it took me this long to realize it." She closed her eyes and kissed his forehead.

The golden pulse filled the room.

Emma backed away from Killian, unsure of the events that just transpired. His eyes shot open and he gasped, trying to obtain lost breath. He was alive! "Killian?" Her hands cupped his face, moving a few strands of hair from his eyes. "Hey, beautiful," he rasped, a smile played at his lips. He leaned into her touch, so gentle and soft. Emma helped him sit up, strained as it was. He winced at the pain; his fingers reflexively brushed his abdominal wound. Panic settled into him and Emma started to rub her thumbs over his cheeks, which caused him to look at her.

"Rumpelstiltskin, he did this to me. He stabbed me with an enchanted dagger. It was cursed, Emma. _I_ was cursed." She shushed him lightly so he wouldn't become hysteric. "I know everything that happened." "I died," he whispered with a hitch in his voice. "And you…" At that moment, Emma wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. Killian buried his head in the crook of her neck, his right arm rested across her back to keep her close. He didn't want to let her go. "You saved me, Emma," he muttered into her skin. "Because I love you." Killian and Emma pulled away from their embrace; both cupped each other's faces. "You love me?" She nodded, fiercely, freely admitted what she's wanted to say for a while. "It's about bloody time. I love you, Swan." He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Emma kissed Killian as all of their past troubles and differences melted away. They pulled back slightly and smiled as they made True Love's kiss once more. They were given one more chance.

Their true love transcended the realms.

Killian and Emma, the pirate and his swan, truly were timeless.

**I gave this prompt idea to onceuponabopper from tumblr, and we might have some similarites. She did such a good job, I wanted to write one, too.**

**Shall I continue this or leave it as one-shot? The choice is yours, shipmates. Until next time.**

**~Fortune**


End file.
